Review: Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Pine Needles, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a 525-yard par 5 that sweeps hard left around a pair of massive bunkers (both the Pine Needles website and the GolfClubAtlas review call the bunkering out). There's a lot of fairway right to play safely to, as clearing the bunkers requires a hard-drawn driver to both clear the sand and handle the big dogleg, but doing this not only puts the green out of reach in two, it also brings a diagonal set of cross bunkers that cut off the green from the rest of the fairway about 50-100 yards out. You either need to brave those bunkers — it's easier to carry them on the right, but you'll have an extremely awkward pitch shot over a greenside bunker — or accept that you'll have over a hundred yards left on the third. The green itself is at least relatively flat, so if you do find it you'll have a decent shot at birdie.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is 415 yards and plays slightly downhill to a fairway that's initially quite wide before a large bunker juts in from the right. You can lay up into the wide part of the fairway, but that will leave you with a partially blind mid iron approach. Not ideal. A driver into the narrower part of the fairway beyond that fairway bunker is riskier, but you'll have a relatively flat stance and full view of the hole. The green here is unusually open, having no bunkers around it; there's just short grass and topography, namely mounds left and a dropoff right. It's a nice change of pace, and rest assured, getting up and down is no easier here than anywhere else on the course.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is 460 yards from all the way back and features a familiar tee shot: the fairway heads up and over a ridge, meaning you need to hit driver to clear it and obtain a view of the green. This task is much easier when you're using the next set of tees up (the non-championship tees), which makes the hole a modest 350 yards. You'll also want to favor the right side on the drive; this sets a better angle into the green, which is sloped and angled from right to left and protected by two bunkers left.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is, if anything, even more photogenic than the third, with sandy waste spread out in front and left of the green, along with two more formal bunkers right. The tee shot is downhill to a long, undulating green that, while not technically elevated, is ringed by a small, subtle swale, lending it that No. 2 dome-like structure. Anything a bit offline will roll off, though the elevation change is so small that those misses aren't overly punished. You can still make par, you just probably won't make birdie.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 455 yards and plays steadily uphill the whole way. The fairway bends right about 250 yards around a pair of bunkers; since the hole plays uphill, those bunkers can't really be cleared. Also, a bunker protects the front-right portion of the green, meaning you have a better angle if you play out left and accept the longer approach. Honestly, the benefit for using driver is surprisingly minimal. The green is pretty large and does accept running approaches, particularly from the left. Still, this is decidedly not one of Pine Needles' better holes.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is 530 yards and plays dead straight to a fairway tilted from right to left that's peppered with staggered bunkers on both sides. No matter how long you hit your driver, there's always going to be a bunker in play and angles to consider. It's a similar matter with the second shot. The green is open in front though slightly perched up; it's also fairly undulating. It's not a complicated hole, but the bunkers are well placed to give you something to think about at all times.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is 180 yards and basically dead flat. In the absence of obvious topography, sand and subtler elevation changes take its place. There's sand everywhere, most notably in front of the tee, serving as an intimidation factor. There's also flanking bunkers on both sides of the green, which is also undulating, with little valleys and knobs strewn about. Still, this is easily the weakest of the par 3s here.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 460 yards and bends significantly left around 250 yards out in a similar manner to the fourteenth. You can of course hit 3 wood, but that will leave a very long second shot. Challenging the big bunker in the corner of the dogleg is challenging and requires a big draw with the driver, but it does make the approach much easier. The green is quite large and undulating, with a single bunker front left. The green is perched up as well, so it will shrug off slightly wayward shots.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is 420 yards and was actually the opener in the course's original configuration. It plays downhill the whole way as it bends left around sandy waste and a large bunker. You can play safely out to the right, avoiding trouble, or you can hit an aggressive drive down the left side to get yourself within wedge distance on the second shot. That's a similar setup to the previous hole, but it's much more fun here. The green is on the smaller side and mostly surrounded by fairway, though there are two bunkers left. Much like Mid Pines, this is not an overbearing hole and gives you hope of making birdie; it's the sort of hole that makes you want to keep playing.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Pine Needles is proof of something we as consumer golfers would be wise to consider: Courses that host significant professional golf tournaments are not necessarily the best golf courses. Now, that's not to take anything away from Pine Needles, as it's an extremely good golf course. But in comparison with Mid Pines, it's just a step behind. The greens here are a major weak point; they're fine, but at this level fine just isn't enough. Also, with the exception of the last hole itself, Pine Needles has a pretty weak conclusion. Basically, once you've passed 13, you've seen the best of Pine Needles. Even 18 is quite similar to 12 at Mid Pines — the tee shot is almost identical, but Mid Pines has the superior green. I also don't think Pine Needles has any holes I think were truly great, whereas I can definitively point to two at Mid Pines (4 and 15).

I will say this: the lodge at Pine Needles has some really interesting memorabilia and such mounted all over the interior. Things like old photographs from Pinehurst, records of all the competitors in major competitions here, and so on. It's a museum of sorts dedicated to women's golf, which should not be surprising, as Pine Needles was once owned by Peggy Kirk Bell, a pioneer of women's golf in the 1940s and 50s and a founding member of the LPGA. After the round, it's definitely worth taking a look around. Also, they have pool and table tennis in a little nook that my brothers and I definitely commandeered for over an hour. That was fun too.

In terms of value, Pine Needles is slightly more expensive than Mid Pines (we're talking $115-$125 in the winter up to a max of $305 in the spring and fall), and the course is not quite as good. If playing quality is all you care about and you only had time to play two of the three non-Pinehurst Donald Ross courses, Pine Needles is the one to skip. But there's enough in the way of intangibles to make me equally glad I played Pine Needles as Mid Pines. It really is a fun round.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Small Paradise

Brewed by: Love City Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "Small Paradise is a Czech-style Amber lager we brewed this beer with our good friends from 2SP Brewing Company from DelCo. Small Paradise is a slow fermented traditional lager fermented with Czech yeast, malt and hops. Complex yet crushable, this amber lager boasts notes of sourdough, caramel, and dark fruits complemented by a refreshing dryness and floral Saaz hops."

Would I buy it again? This beer was about as amber lager as amber lagers get. It was nice and malty, drinkable but with plenty of substance. Not too hoppy, either. I don't think it'll win any awards, but as a beer to actually drink, it's tough to beat. I'd buy it again.

Review: Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club (Part 1)

When it comes to championship pedigree in the Sandhills, you obviously can't beat the 800-pound gorilla that is Pinehurst No. 2. But Pine Needles, host of four US Women's Opens, is certainly no slouch in that regard. The biggest tournament in women's golf has come to Pine Needles four times (1996, 2001, 2007, and 2022); no golf course has hosted more US Women's Opens. (Fun fact, only two courses have hosted the women more than twice — Pine Needles and Atlantic City Country Club, which held the event in 1948, 1965, and 1975.)

Pine Needles opened in 1927 as yet another option for hungry golfers coming to the Sandhills on vacation, and is the last big Ross design in the area, at least that still exists in something resembling its original form. The course has actually undergone a pair of restorations: the first in 2006 brought the greens back to Ross's originals (mostly) and cleared out large numbers of trees, while the second in 2017 focused on restoring the Sandhills character, removing rough in favor of exposed sand. 

One might imagine that Pine Needles and Mid Pines, being Donald Ross courses quite literally across the street from each other, might have a lot in common. Ross had a core design philosophy and both courses share it. But do they play too similarly? Does Pine Needles have its own identity, or is this a case of "if you play one, you've played them both?" Let's find out.

The first hole is a fairly short par 5, playing just over 500 yards. To bring the green into reach in two, you need to challenge the corner of this dogleg right, flirting with a large bunker and sandy waste areas. A good drive will reach the top of the ridge, bringing the green fully into view. If you're laying up, two bunkers are staggered between 100 and 50 yards short of the green, complicating matters greatly and demanding a fairly precise shot. Precision is also required around the green; there's a bunker left and a small one right, but the green also runs away right and behind. It's a pretty gentle opener that does present a good chance at birdie, but you also can't take it for granted. 

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole represents the abrupt end of the easy opener; at 480 yards this is a long and difficult par 4 that crests the top of a hill about 250-300 yards out. Doesn't sound too bad, but a line of bunkers along the right side eat into the fairway, narrowing the space you have to hit driver and get that clear view on the second shot. The green here is quite large, very open in front, and slopes from front to back, all encouraging you to hit a lower, running approach. There's a steep bank behind the green, so if you do go long, getting up and down is a tough task. 

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a photogenic little par 3, playing 145 yards across a small pond to a narrow green that slopes gently but definitively right to left squeezed between three bunkers, one short and two left and right. Unusually for a restoration, this green was actually reduced in size, further emphasizing the need for precision. Shots that leak a little left are easily shrugged away into either the left-hand bunker or down the slope several feet, leaving a delicate uphill chip. 

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a mid-length par 4 with a tee shot that plays over a pond (don't worry, it's not really in play) to a fairway that's initially quite wide but narrows significantly as it climbs up the hill. You can play safely to the bottom of the hill with a long iron or fairway wood, but that will leave a short or mid iron up over a pair of bunkers (with another larger bunker left) to a narrow green with a noticeably false front. Hitting driver up the left is of course more challenging, but you can get yourself a better angle and leave just a wedge for the second shot. The approach is also more uphill than you think, and will require at least one extra club.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green. Left is not the place to miss.

The fifth hole is a long 220-yard par 3 with a big green protected by a bunker left and a very large bunker front right. The green itself is domed, with the middle back being highest and everything else falling away from it. Beyond those two bunkers the green is surrounded by large quantities of fairway, which serves to catch wayward tee shots (since this is a long par 3, I'm sure there are plenty) and provide options for getting up and down. This is a tough hole, but one where you shouldn't rack up too large a number. It's still fun.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The sixth hole is 460 yards and plays to a wide fairway, tilted from left to right, that heads up and over a ridge about 250 yards out. A good drive will reach the top and provide a clear view of the green; however, long drivers should be wary, as some sandy waste cuts in from the right about 300 yards out and narrows the fairway considerably. Not something too many people need to worry about, but it is there. The second shot is a mid iron down the hill to a medium-sized green sloped significantly from back left to front right toward a deep right-hand bunker.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is about the same length as the previous hole and plays parallel to it. This hole does have some notable right-to-left bend to it, particularly on the tee shot. It's also a much narrower playing corridor than the previous hole, making driver more uncomfortable. But you need to hit driver, challenging the gate of bunkers flanking the fairway, to reach the top of the hill and reveal the green. The second shot plays to a green that's open in front with a single bunker left, however the front-quarter is dominated by a false front. 

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is nearly a hundred yards shorter than the previous two holes, playing 360 yards as the fairway sweeps left to right as it follows a wide valley. The fairway narrows the further you go, and since the hole is of modest length, driver really doesn't give you much benefit. A solid 3 wood will leave a wedge second shot into the green, which is tilted from back right to front left and is well protected by three bunkers. After three holes requiring a fair amount of brute force, having a shorter par 4 that calls for a lighter touch is greatly appreciated.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a mid-length par 4 that doesn't appear to have too much going for it on the tee shot. The fairway is quite wide, and while the sandy wastes on both sides are omnipresent, there is no more threat from sand here than any other hole. However, it is very important to find the fairway here, as the green is on the smaller side, subtly angled to favor a shot from the left, and flanked by a bunker left and a deep hollow cut at fairway height to the right. Recovery from that little hollow is of course quite difficult, as the tight lie presents both opportunity (you can use whatever club you like) and challenge (the standard flop shot you might want to hit with little green to work with is much more difficult to pull off without a couple inches of rough grass underneath your ball). Replace that hollow with a more standard bunker, and the hole becomes much less interesting.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll check out the back nine.